Star Speakers

Our members have expertise in all areas of the American West and all aspects of writing and publishing. If you have need of a presenter, please review our Star Speakers listings and contact the member directly.

A

B

Boggs, Johnny D. CONTACT DETAILS: Office/Home: (505) 466-3680, Email: jdboggs@aol.com BIO: Boggs is a three-time winner of the Spur Award from Western Writers of America, and has won other national honors, including the Western Heritage Wrangler Award, for his fiction. His novels include Northfield, Camp Ford and East of the Border, and he is also a frequent contributor to many Western magazines. He served as president of Western Writers of America 2008-10. His website is www.johnnydboggs.com. SPEECH TOPICS: Children or adult material: Most aspects of Western history, specializing in Jesse James, Buffalo Bill Cody, Western jurisprudence, Civil War and the cattle-drive era; writing and research instructions, seminars, workshops and motivational presentations. FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Negotiable Honorarium plus all travel expenses.

Boor, Jackie CONTACT DETAILS: Office/Home: (505) 466-3680, Email: jackieboor@comcast.net BIO: Author, speaker, panelist and workshop presenter, Jackie’s first western nonfiction book, LOGAN: The Honorable Life and Scandalous Death of a Western Lawman, won the Midwest Independent Publishers Association’s 2015 History Book of the Year; was a 2015 Eric Hoffer Award finalist, an international recognition; and was selected as one of three featured books at the National 2015 Police Memorial Week in Washington, DC. The Sheriff Tom Logan biography explores the impacts and dynamics of Nevada’s boomtown years and specifically focuses on the unique challenges faced by law enforcement transitioning from the Wild West to the demands of 20th Century justice. Signings and presentations have been hosted by the Smithsonian Museum of American History, the Nevada State Museum (Las Vegas & Carson City), the California State Fair, and the Silver State National Peace Officers Museum, as well as numerous historical societies, museums, service groups and private book clubs. Her website is www.jackieboor.com.SPEECH TOPICS: (15-45 minutes, with PowerPoint) include: “From Vapor to Paper: Why We Tell Stories,” “Digging up History: Unearthing the Forgotten, the Colorful & the Sensational,” and “Killed in the Line of Duty: One Family’s Century-Long Journey through Death & Disgrace.” FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Negotiable honorarium, permission to sell books at event, travel/lodging expenses if outside of the greater Sacramento region.

Braun, MattCONTACT DETAILS: email address winpro@snet.netBIO: WWA Spur Award for “The Kincaids” and “Dakota” and WWA Wister Award for Lifetime Achievment in Western Literature. “Black Fox” adapted for 6-hour CBS miniseries and “One Last Town” adapted for TNT movie. Author of forty-seven historical novels of the American West, with over 40 million copies in print. Author of the acclaimed “How To Write Western Novels.”SPEECH TOPICS:The American West: The Myth vs. The Reality (compares how the truth of the Old West was transformed into the mythology of America). Also, a clinic or a symposium on How To Write Novels That Sell.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Fee $1,000 – $1,500 plus all travel expenses.

Bullis, DonCONTACT DETAILS: Phone: (505) 892-9177, E-mail address: donbullis@msn.com, Mailing address: 3100 Ann Circle, Rio Rancho, NM 87124BIO: Don Bullis graduated from Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) in 1970 with a bachelor’s degree in American History and American Literature. He attended graduate school at the University of New Mexico in 1971. During the 1970s he worked in public relations, educational projects and business. In the early 1980s he became a columnist for the New Mexico Independent newspapers and editor of the Sandoval County Times-Independent. In the late 1980s, he began writing a regular column for the Rio Rancho Observercalled “Ellos Pasaron Por Aqui.”Bullis began a law enforcement career in 1982 that included stints as deputy sheriff / criminal investigator (Sandoval County), town marshal (San Ysidro) Commissioner (Governor’s Organized Crime Prevention Commission), and criminal intelligence operational supervisor (New Mexico Department of Public Safety).He retired in 2002.After retirement, Bullis continued to work as a columnist. He also wrote book reviews and served as a political correspondent for the Observer. His columns also appear in the New Mexico Stockman and in Tradicion Revista magazines. He teaches Criminal Justice at IIA College in Albuquerque.He is the author of four non-fiction books and two novels: TheOld West Trivia Book (1993), New Mexico’s Finest: Peace Officers Killed in the Line of Duty, 1847-1991 (2nd edition, 1996 and 3rd edition 1999), Bloodville (novel 2006) Finalist in the Novel / Mystery Category, NM Book Awards, 2007, New Mexico: A Biographical Dictionary (2007) Winner, Best Book in New Mexico, NM Book NM Book Awards, 2007, and five other awards for excellence.SPEECH TOPICS: Lawmen and Law Enforcement in America’s Old West. Outlaws, Crime and Punishment in America’s Old West. Significant Personalities in New Mexico History (1540-Present). New Mexico Peace Officers Killed in the Line of Duty (1847-2000). New Mexico’s Lincoln County War (1878-1881).FEE ARRANGEMENTS: $200-$500, plus expenses, which is negotiable depending on the event and/or organization.

C

Campbell, Jeff C.CONTACT DETAILS: P.O. Box 262, Eads, Colorado 81036, 719-248-0571 (24 hrs), kiowalone@yahoo.comBIO: Jeff C. Campbell is a requested speaker throughout the southwest and has conducted seminars since 1996 for the Southwest Writer’s Workshop and the Panhandle Professional Writers’ and Frontiers in Writing among others. He has been a professional writer for the past thirty years and come from a background in teaching and law enforcement / criminal investigations and training. His home is the southwest and received a degree and post-grad education from the University of Texas at El Paso in History and Geology.SPEECH TOPICS: Several themes based on his investigation into the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864, including “Misconceptions” “Primary Sources” “Research Techniques” “U.S. Volunteers and Militia” and outlines of the events in the West, New Mexico, Texas and Colorado during the Civil War period. He currently conducts interpretive programs at the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site and has written several booklets and articles in conjunction with and for the National Park Service. He also conducts seminars on criminal investigations, law enforcements techniques and procedures, weapons and how to make police and criminal characters real, which are aimed at writers of fiction, mysteries, articles and true crime. He will work closely with clients to customize the topic for their group. References available on request.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Travel expenses, lodging (if necessary), and stipend which is negotiable. In some cases for non-profit or community organizations a minimum fee will be negotiated.

Chandler MichaelCONTACT DETAILS:The Chandler Marketing Company, 826 ½ Grand Avenue, Glenwood Springs, Colorado81601, Phone: (970) 945 2706, michaelchandler@sopris.netBIO: Michael is owner and president of The Chandler Marketing Company, Glenwood Springs, Colorado, international author of the bestselling book from Pelican Publishing, ‘Dreamweaving…The Secret To Overwhelming Your Business Competition.’, also published in Southeast Asia and Indonesia by BIP, Jakarta. Michael’s other books include ‘The Littlest Cowboy’s Christmas’ and the new western adventure novel ‘Kincade’s Blood’.Mr. Chandler is a national winner of 41 Silver Microphone Awards for outstanding advertising and copywriting. His full service advertising agency advises a complete spectrum of clients, from business to political. He is the creator of the groundbreaking communications strategy Dreamweaving. The results of Mr. Chandler’s work have been featured on ABC World News Tonight, Independent Banker, Bank Marketing, Michigan Banker and Ag Lender magazines, The American Bankers Association’s BankerNews and American Banker. He is a member of The Small Business Advocate’s “Brain Trust” and frequent guest on Jim Blasingame’s talk shows. He is an Active Member of the Western Writers of America. His marketing strategies have been published within the East Coast Internet think-tank The Globe. Michael has lectured nationally for the past 35 years before universities, colleges, corporate retreats, state and national banking conventions, including the Federal Home Loan Bank, American Banker, Independent Community Bankers of America, and The American Bankers Association. He served on the tutorial staff of The Independent Community Bankers of America, and their educational program, addressing the ICBA National Convention for thirteen consecutive years. Colorado’s District Court has subpoenaed Michael to testify as an Expert Witness in Marketing.Michael’s books are available globally through amazon.com.

Cleere, Jan CONTACT DETAILS: Email: Jan@JanCleere.com. Phone: (520) 909-2299BIO: Jan Cleere distinguishes herself in the field of historical nonfiction by tirelessly pursuing long-forgotten manuscripts, tear-stained diaries, and old-timers with a story to tell. Amazing Girls of Arizona: True Stories of Young Pioneers has been selected by Pima County Library Association as one of the best Southwest books of the year (2007). Outlaw Tales of Arizona: True Stories of Arizona’s Most Famous Robbers, Rustlers, and Bandits, received national acclaim by winning the 2007 National Federation of Press Women’s Literary Competition for historical nonfiction. More Than Petticoats: Remarkable Nevada Womenalso placed as a Finalist in regional competitions. All books published by The Globe Pequot Press.SPEECH TOPICS: Pioneering young Arizona girls, Pioneering Nevada women, Arizona Outlaws.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Speaking fee range: $100 – $500 depending on length of speaking time, plus travel expenses outside of Tucson, AZ. Library presentations and some charitable organizations – no fee. Permission to sell my books at presentations.

Crigger, C. K. CONTACT DETAILS: Office/Home: 509-926-6793, Email: ckcww@aol.comSpokane Valley, WashingtonBIO: C.K. Crigger is a two-time (2007 & 2009) Spur Award finalist, and the winner of the 2008Eppie Award in western/historical for her novel, BLACK CROSSING. A native of theInland Northwest, Ms. Crigger lives with her husband and three dogs inSpokane Valley, WA. Her website is www.ckcrigger.com.SPEECH TOPICS: An audience participation workshop where attendees outline a plot, develop characters and write a query to set the hook for agents, publishers, and readers. Also talks on writing and research, homesteaders, and separating myth from reality in the American West.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Negotiable honorarium, agreement to sell her books, plus all travel expenses.

D

Decker, Peter R.CONTACT DETAILS: Email: D2ranch@aol.comBIO: Decker is the author of The Utes Must Go: American Expansion and the Removal of the People. His website is www.westernslopepress.com.SPEECH TOPICS: Manifest Destiny in the 19th Century United States and the consequences for Native American tribes.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: $250-$500 plus travel expenses.

E

Ellis, Kirk CONTACT DETAILS: Ph./fax 505-466-3639kellis1848@aol.comBIO: Santa Fe-based television and feature film-writer/producer Kirk Ellis received an Emmy nomination and won the Writers Guild of America and Humanitas Awards for the ABC miniseries “Anne Frank.” He received the Western Writers of America’s Golden Spur Award for Best Drama Script for “Hell on Wheels,” an episode of the Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated TNT/Dreamworks miniseries “Into the West,” on which he served as supervising producer and writer. (Past recipients include Larry McMurtry for “Lonesome Dove” and Michael Blake for “Dances With Wolves.”) In addition to the Golden Spur Award, Ellis received the Wrangler Award for Best Television Feature from the National Western Heritage Museum, and a Critics’ Choice Award, for his work on the miniseries.Ellis’ most recent project as writer and co-executive producer is the seven-part HBO miniseries, “John Adams,” starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linney. The project, based on David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize-winning biography, aired to considerable acclaim and record ratings during March/April, 2008. Following “John Adams,” Ellis will continue his association with David McCullough and the American Revolution as writer and co-executive producer of “1776,” based on McCullough’s book. The project is slated as a six-hour HBO miniseries, to be produced like “John Adams” with Tom Hanks’ Playtone Co. For the screen, Ellis’ upcoming feature projects include “Blood and Thunder,” an epic drama of Kit Carson and the Navajo Wars, for Steven Spielberg/Dreamworks, and an untitled Jackie Robinson project chronicling the remarkable partnership between Jackie Robinson and Brooklyn Dodgers general manager Branch Rickey. Robert Redford will direct and play Rickey, and produce with “Ray” producers Howard and Karen Baldwin.Ellis made an unprecedented deal at the end of 1996 with Francis Ford Coppola to write an unlimited number of projects over a one-year term. In 1997, he completed five screenplays for Coppola. He has additionally collaborated on projects with such directors as Roland Joffe (“The Killing Fields”) and William Friedkin (“The Exorcist”). His other credits include his debut feature “The Grass Harp,” based on the coming-of-age novel by Truman Capote, and the award-winning ABC miniseries “The Beach Boys: An American Family,” “Life With Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows,” and “The Three Stooges.” His additional work for HBO includes a series adaptation of James Ellroy’s “American Tabloid.”A Texas native, Ellis was steeped in the tradition of Southern gothic writing pioneered by authors like William Faulkner, Thomas Wolfe, Truman Capote, Eudora Welty, and Flannery O’Connor. At the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema and Television, he became the first undergraduate to achieve degrees in both film production and history/criticism, and began his professional career as a film critic for The Hollywood Reporter. In 1985, at the age of 24, he was named the trade paper’s international editor–the youngest journalist to ever serve in the post. In 1992, he was named Editor-in-Chief of the London-based European trade magazine Moving Pictures and simultaneously formed Shadow Catcher Productions, an independent production banner under which Ellis develops his own independent productions and documentaries.SPEECH TOPICS: Western Film and Television, Manifest Destiny, Founding Fathers, History on Film, Genre Writing, Television/New Media and the Future of Storytelling.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Negotiable but must include travel.

F

Fitzjerrell, Karen Casey CONTACT DETAILS: EMail: kcfitzjerrel@gmail..com Phone – 512-775-8274; Website www.karencaseyfitzjerrell.comBIO: Fitzjerrell is the author of EPIC Award-Winning The Dividing Season. Her freelance features, travel articles and personal narratives about the people and places she visited while traveling Texas back roads appeared in three of the five largest newspapers in the state as well as numerous regional magazines. By day, she roamed the highways and byways looking for stories. By night she wrote novels. Excerpts from her novels and a short story or two are included in Corner Cafe: A Tasty Collection of Short Stories and Red Boots and Attitude: The Spirit of Texas Women Writers.SPEECH TOPICS: What Makes a Story Stick, Story Structure, Character Development and Plot Arch, Don’t Let Facts Stymie a Good Story, Research, The Realities of Going Indie, Uncommon Women in Texas History. ….And many more.FEES: Travel expenses + lodging if necessary. Negotiable honorarium depending on organization and the opportunity to sell books.

G

Gamble, R. Lawson
CONTACT DETAILS: Email — rlawsongamble@gmail.comBIO: Rich has always had an adventurous spirit and creative mind, encouraged by his childhood in a family that enjoyed travel and the outdoors. He has traveled alone to South America and Africa to climb and explore and has accomplished such classic climbs as Mt. Rainier, Devil’s Tower, Popocatepetl in Mexico, Cotopaxi in Ecuador, and Mt. Kenya in Africa. On the creative side, Rich has a love of music. He is a trained baritone and has sung opera, oratorio, and directed and acted in music theatre. Rich is an accomplished teacher, awarded the designation Master Teacher and retired Teacher Emeritus from his school. And of course, Rich is an avid reader and writes articles, short stories, and novels. He lives now in California where he is engaged in research for a historical novel on the life of Salomon Pico, a bandit whose exploits have suggested he may be the model for Johnston McCulley’s Zorro. His web site is www.RLawsonGamble.com.SPEECH TOPICS: Salomon Pico: The Real Zorro? (The Mexican bandits of California in the 1840s and 1850s).FEE ARRANGEMENTS $150 plus expenses; negotiable. (Free plus expenses to charitable organizations.)

Groneman III, WilliamCONTACT DETAILS: Email — wgroneman@yahoo.comBIO: William Groneman is a former Captain of the New York City Fire Department, and a long time student of the battle of the Alamo. His books include Alamo Defenders; Defense of a Legend, Battlefields of Texas; Eyewitness to the Alamo; Death of a Legend; and David Crockett – Hero of the Common Man. He has been a member of the Western Writers of America since 1994, and is a former member of the board. His web site is www.wgroneman.com.SPEECH TOPICS: The Alamo; Alamo defenders; Eyewitness History; David Crockett as hero of the common man; 9/11 from a firefighter’s perspective; Eyewitness history at the World Trade Center; the De La Peña; writing; John Steinbeck.FEE ARRANGEMENTS $100 — $500, and/or travel expenses. Very negotiable

Goldthwaite, CarmenCONTACT DETAILS: Home/Office: (817) 737-6958; (817) 726-0412; E-mail: carmengoldthwaite@sbcglobal.netBIO: As a writer about Texas women’s history–in a new book Texas Dames: Sassy and Savvy Women Throughout Lone Star History–and in magazines and newspapers, Goldtwaite gives programs on topics such as:
Women who pioneered in taming the land and building communities
Women in the professions, such as: law and politics, education, medicine, the arts and entertainment
The Suffragettes
Women in science and aviation
Women, the “social reformers” who gentled up Texas and TexansFEE ARRANGEMENTS: Negotiable.

Groves, MelodyCONTACT DETAILS: Home/Office: (505) 298-3022; E-mail: melodygroves@comcast.netBIO: Groves is the winner of the 2008 New Mexico Book Awards for Historical Fiction Novel and the 2008 Parris Award from South West Writers. In addition, she has won two other writing awards. Her novels include “Arizona War,” “Sonoran Rage,” and “Border Ambush,” Her non-fiction book, “Ropes, Reins, and Rawhide: All About Rodeo” explains the ins and outs of the sport. Groves, a contributor to Western magazines, is the Publicity chairman for Western Writers of America and the PR chair for South West Writers. A member of the New Mexico Gunfighters Association (Old West re-enactors), Groves performs shootouts weekly in Albuquerque’s Old Town.Groves has spoken at several conferences, workshops, and seminars, most recently at the Cowboy Symposium in Lubbock, Texas. She also teaches writing classes. Her website is www.melodygroves.comSPEECH TOPICS: Children or adult material: Many aspects of Western history, specializing in the Butterfield Overland Mail Stage Lines; Civil War in the West; Gunfighting for Fun and Profit; rodeo; researching and writing historical fiction.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Negotiable Honorarium plus all travel expenses.

H

Hocking, Doug. CONTACT DETAILS: Office/Home: (520) 378-1833, Email: dhocking@centurylink.net BIO: Doug Hocking grew up on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation in New Mexico. He has advanced degrees in American History, Ethnology and Historical Archaeology. His historical novels include Massacre at Point of Rocks and Mystery of Chaco Canyon. He’s currently working on a biography of Tom Jeffords. Doug is a frequent contributor to True West, Wild West and other western magazines. His website is www.doughocking.com. SPEECH TOPICS: Doug specializes in Arizona/New Mexico history before 1880, especially dragoons, and Apaches. He has presentations ready to go on: the Black Legend of Lieutenant George Bascom; Tom Jeffords, Blood-brother of Cochise; The White Wagon Train Massacre, Death on the Santa Fe Trail; Mysteries of the Southwest; The Mexican-American War; Self-Publishing vs. Boutique Publishing; Personal Sales in Unusual Venues. FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Negotiable Honorarium plus all travel expenses.

I

J

Joyner, C. CourtneyCONTACT DETAILS: Email: Olcourt@yahoo.com.BIO: A screenwriter with over 25 produced credits.SPEECH TOPICS: Crafting The Western Screenplay and Sales in the current workplace.Writing for Comics and Graphic Novels.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: $300 – $1000 w/travel. Fee exceptions for charitable and military.

K

Kimes, Royal WadeCONTACT DETAILS: Email: wonderrk@ymail.com.BIO: Royal Wade Kimes life reads like a novel, not unlike some he has had published A Braver Man and Boston’s Quest, to name a couple. He was born of outlaw descent and raised on the Arkansas and Oklahoma Border…known to most as Outlaw Territory in the 1800’S. His job was herding cattle across the mountains until he left for Nashville Tennessee to pursue his dream. Royal Wade is considered by many in the entertainment world today, as a prolific writer in both song and novel platforms, as well as a top performer with a voice reminiscent of the crooners of yesterday. Before becoming a recording artist and author of western novels he was the highest paid staff writer on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee.Eddy Arnold gave him his start while Johnny Cash encouraged him to stay true to himself, and James Arness congratulated him in letter for his success and determination in beating the system. He has won numerous awards for his writings, recordings and performing works. Royal Wade has shared the stage with the likes of Senator Fred Thompson, Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Powers Booth, Trace Atkins, and many more. His film “Dixie Burns” which he directed and starred in was given a five star rating by the industry music critics in Music City and HD/Film Specialist of Hollywood winning the Blue Flame Award.His speaking focus is on topics of building your own entertainment business that covers “avoiding pitfalls of spending needless money, who to watch, what to watch and stop the bleeding, crafting of songs and stories, what to do and not do in writing, recording, promotion, publishing, distributing, royalty firms, and writing novels that build your brand.”FEE ARRANGEMENTS: $1,500 for one day engagement with binders, multiple days $750 per day thereafter.

Kraft, Louis CONTACT DETAILS: writerkraft@gmail.com(email), 818.667.2072 (cell) BIO: Award-winning author and historian Louis Kraft has been writing and talking about race relations and the Indian wars since the mid-1980s. Books include Custer and the Cheyenne, Gatewood & Geronimo, Lt. Charles Gatewood & His Apache Wars Memoir, andNed Wynkoop and the Lonely Road from Sand Creek (OU Press). His current writing project also deals with Wynkoop’s years with the Cheyennes (Sand Creek and the Tragic End of a Lifeway, University of Oklahoma Press). He also plans a new project that deals with Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland’s life and times while they made eight films together at Warner Bros., three of which were westerns. For more details, see http://www.louiskraftwriter.com. SPEECH TOPICS:1) Soldier/Indian agent Edward Wynkoop and the Cheyennes (1860s)* Note that there is also a Wynkoop one-man dramatic play available) 2) Soldier Charles Gatewood and the Apaches, including Geronimo (1880s) 3) Soldier George Armstrong Custer and the Cheyennes (1860s) and 4) Actor Errol Flynn & actress Olivia de Havilland (1930s-1950s). FEE ARRANGEMENTS: For speaking engagements: $750.00, plus expenses (travel, lodging, per diem). Special cases are negotiable.* For the Wynkoop one-man play, minimum $3000.00, plus expenses (travel, lodging, per diem) for Kraft and director/producer. Lighting and sound technicians are also required, as is a simplistic set.

L

Richard Lapidus CONTACT DETAILS: Email: starrandwyatt@hotmail.com.BIO: Former V.P. of W.O.L.A. (Western Outlaw-Lawman History Association), Master of Ceremonies 9 years in a row for major western book exposition, writes articles for national magazines and scientific and history journals, writes fiction and non-fiction books, specializes in reptiles and the old west. Speaks on a variety of old west subjects, and on all aspects of reptiles and amphibians (including 50 years of unusual and humorous field experiences), has given talks to all age groups. FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Negotiable, plus expenses.

Lodge, StephenCONTACT DETAILS: lodgeste@aol.com, Literary Web Site – www.stephenlodge.com, Address: 71-526 Mirage Road, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270, Phone: 760-346-3316, Fax: 760-346-8749BIO: Stephen Lodge is the co-writer of Kenny Rogers’ only down-and-dirty Western epic, the CBS Movie of the Week, Rio Diablo, co-starring Travis Tritt, Naomie Judd and Stacy Keach. His first major Motion Picture screenwriting credit was the United Artists feature, The Honkers, starring James Coburn and Anne Archer. Soon after, he was writing, producing & directing his own film, One Block Away. Another of Lodge’s films as a writer, Kingdom of the Spiders, featuring Star Trek’s William Shatner, has gone on to become a favorite late night TV cult horror classic. He has also written, produced & directed a 90 minute TV special, Bordello; authored articles for various magazines; and completed additional screenplays, including adaptations of his published novels, Shadows of Eagles, Charley Sunday’s Texas Outfit!, and, Nickel-Plated Dream. His latest book, the behind-the-scenes, on-the-set, semi-biographical, And Action!, is a compilation of stories and photographs from the years Steve spent in and around the Hollywood Motion Picture Business.SPEECH TOPICS: Steve begins with his first visit to a Hollywood movie set as a child – a Johnny Mack Brown Monogram B-Western filming at the famous Iverson Movie Ranch. From there he talks about his love for Westerns and acting, including his first part in the Fury TV Series; plus his behind-the-scenes connection to the Roy Rogers; Gene Autry; Wild Bill Hickok; Annie Oakley; Buffalo Bill Jr.; The Rebel; Have Gun Will Travel; and Bat Masterson television show sets – his time spent as a 16-year-old gunfighter-stuntman working for movie cowboy Ray “Crash” Corrigan at his famous movie ranch, Corriganville – his career as a Hollywood Screenwriter of the movies The Honkers; Kingdom of the Spiders; and Rio Diablo – working as a costumer on shows like the original The Fugitive and Gunsmoke; as well as the numerous Movies of the Week and Major Motion Pictures he has worked on. Q&A follows.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: $350 – $750; depending location and length of speaking time. All travel expenses and lodging; plus permission to sell my books at presentations if at all possible.

M

Mahoney, Sylvia GannCONTACT DETAILS: sgmahoney@sbcglobal.net Phone: 940-552-5532Cell: 940-357-1269P.O. Box 1518, Vernon, TX 76385BIO: Sylvia, a native Texas reared in New Mexico, is an author, editor, photographer, educator, and has been a rodeo pageant judge, founder of a national college rodeo alumni organization, founder and executive director of a cowboy hall of fame museum, college rodeo coach, and author of the definitive book on the history of college rodeo, College Rodeo: From Show to Sport, published in 2004 by Texas A&M Press. She is co-chairman of “Marking of the Great Western Cattle Trail from Mexico to Canada through nine U.S. States.” She spoke about the writing process and college rodeo history using a PowerPoint presentation as the 2008 Third Annual Guy Caldwell Western Heritage Lecture Series Guest lecturer at Hardin-Simmons University.SPEECH TOPICS: 1. “History of College Rodeo” College rodeo was started by students on the Texas A&M campus in 1920 and became a national organization in 1949, which has helped make rodeo into a collegiate sport, a big business professionally, and spread it internationally.
2. “The Western Cattle Trail” This trail extended from Mexico to Canada and was the longest in length and in time (1874 – 1893), carried more cattle than any other cattle trail starting in Texas, and contributed to the legend and lore of the cowboy. In the 21st century, Rotarians are marking the trail every six miles with a seven-foot white cement post from Matamoros, Mexico, to Saskatchewan, Canada, which is another tale of the cattle trail.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: $1,000 plus travel expenses

Miller, Rod CONTACT DETAILS: www.writerRodMiller.com BIO: Poet, novelist, historian, journalist, essayist—Rod Miller writes about the American West in many forms. His broad experience also applies to presenting workshops, readings, and lectures on a number of subjects. Tucson Festival of Books, Pikes Peak Writers Conference, Idaho Writers League, Kanab Writers Conference, Western Writers of America, League of Utah Writers, Weber Historical Society, Utah County Historical Society, and Utah Westerners are among the many audiences he has entertained and informed. From writers to readers, Miller can tailor a presentation to fit your group. Fees are flexible. Miller is two-time winner of the Western Writers of America Spur Award and recipient of many other awards and recognition. SPEECH TOPICS: Varies. FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Negotiable.

Monahan, Sherry CONTACT DETAILS: www.sherrymonahan.com or 919-577-6399
BIO: Sherry’s an award-winning author of Frontier Fare, Mrs. Earp: Wives & Lovers of the Earp Brothers, California Vines, Wines and Pioneers, Taste of Tombstone, Pikes Peak: Adventures, Communities and Lifestyles, The Wicked West, and Tombstone’s Treasure. She’s appeared on the History Channel in several shows and won a Wrangler Award for her performance. She’s a contributing editor for True West magazine and has her own column called, Frontier Fare. Sherry focuses on what life was really like in the Victorian west–including what the pioneers ate and drank, how they dressed, and what the saloons and towns themselves really looked like. She’s also skilled in dealing the game of faro, which was popular in the saloons. SPEECH TOPICS: The Victorian West. Life in western towns like Tombstone, Colorado Springs, Deadwood, and Virginia City. Western saloons, gambling, mines, food, and recipes.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Speaking fees range from $250-$1,000, plus travel expenses. Some exceptions for charitable and military organizations.

Morgans, James PatrickCONTACT DETAILS:20 S. 41st Street Ste. 64Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501712-256-5250 jjmorgans@hotmail.com BIO: James Patrick Morgans has had over 125 articles appear in a wide variety of magazines and periodicals these include: Farm Journal, Omaha World-Herald newspaper, Dental Economics, San Diego Padres Baseball Gold and Iowa Heritage Illustrated. In 2006 Mr. Morgans had his nonfiction book John Todd and the Underground Railroad: Biography of an Iowa Abolitionist published by McFarland & Company. He has since signed another contract with McFarland to produce another book tentatively to be published in 2009 entitled The Underground Railroad and Freedom Escapes on the Western Frontier. For a dozen years James Patrick presented a writing seminar on Selling What You Writeat the Shenandoah campus of Iowa Western Community College. Mr. Morgans is president of Morgans Books an independent rep firm that markets mostly children’s books and other ancillary products to libraries and schools in an eight state region. James Patrick has made dozens of well received presentations at museums, libraries, schools and other organizations on a variety of topics.SPEECH TOPICS: The Underground Railroad and Freedom Escapes on the Western Frontier. Slavery on the Western Frontier. How To Sell What You Write No Matter Where You Live (Covers both Adult and Children’s Writing). Also, other miscellaneous topics on Western Americana.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Fee negotiable depending on length of presentation. Plus reasonable travel expenses. Discounts available for certain non-profit groups.

Moulton, Candy CONTACT DETAILS: Candywwa@aol.com BIO Candy Moulton is the author of fifteen nonfiction books about the American West including Everyday Life in the Wild West from 1840-1900; Everyday Life Among American Indians from 1800 to 1900, both published by Writer’s Digest Books, plus three titles–Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska–in the Roadside History series published by Mountain Press Publishing. She won a Spur in 2006 for her biography, Chief Joseph: Guardian of the People, and another Spur for her documentary “In Pursuit of a Dream” produced with BPI for the Oregon-California Trails Association. She is the Executive Director of Western Writers of America and the editor of News From the Plains, official newsletter of the Oregon-California Trails Association (OCTA). She also develops multi-media exhibits for museums and visitors centers. SPEECH TOPICS American West, Wyoming, Westward Migration, Writing and Publishing. FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Expenses plus fee negotiated with organization. Special rates for schools/libraries

N

Nelson, W. DaleCONTACT DETAILS: 1719 Downey St., Laramie, WY 82072-1918; Phone: 307-742-0737; Email: wdnelson@bresnan.netBIO: W. Dale Nelson’s poetry has appeared or is forthcoming in more than 80 magazines, including The Nation, The New Yorker and The Texas Review. He spent 40 years as a reporter for the The Associated Press and has received a White House Correspondents Association award for presidential reporting, as well as numerous awards for poetry and a creative writing fellowship from the Wyoming Arts Council. He is the author of Gin Before Breakfast; The Dilemma of the Poet in the Newsroomand four other non-fiction books.SPEECH TOPICS: “Not all Western Poets are Cowboys’ and “Alan Swallow and the Growth of Quality Publishing in the West.”FEE ARRANGEMENTS: $500 plus travel expenses.

Nicholson, Thomas P. CONTACT DETAILS: 801-B So Plymouth, Chicago, 60605-2024, phone: 312-922-4165, coltompn@sbcglobal.netBIO: Raised in NW Arkansas, grew up watching father in local rodeos. Went to college at MO School of Mines, BS in Nuclear Engineering. During summers was a fire fighter for the US Forest Service. After college was a Uranium miner for a short while, then entered the military. Became a Green Beret officer and spent over two years in Vietnam. Afterwards was stationed in Panama, Bolivia, Korea, Somalia, and England, as well as NC, CO, WA, MO, GA, TX, CA, and KY. After military career, I was a plant manager for motor manufacturer. I am a Registered Engineer, have my MBA from Pepperdine University, am a registered agent of the IRS and a certified Welding Engineer. Have written eight books of the West as well as several about Vietnam, the American Civil War and WWII. I belong to the Western Writers of America, The Civil War Round Table, Westerners International, Western Outlaws and Lawmen of America, the American Legion and VFW. SPEECH TOPICS: Civil War, American Military in the West, General Western history, famous men of the West, Battles in the West. FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Expenses plus $0 to $1000 depending on activity

O

P

Pettengill, James (Jim) CONTACT DETAILS: 1843 Aspen Drive, Ridgway, CO 81432, (970) 626-4239, Email: jandkpet@montrose.net jandkpet@montrose.net BIO: Jim Pettengill is a retired geologist living in Ridgway, Colorado. He has been a freelance writer and photographer for 30 years, with more than 170 articles sold to national magazines in the fields of Western history, history-related travel, and motorsports. He won the Wild West History Association’s Six-Shooter award for the best article of Wild West history in a scholarly publication in 2011. He is vice-president of the Ridgway Railroad Museum. SPEECH TOPICS: (Lengths can vary between 30 and 90 minutes, as requested) “David F. Day: Always a Fighter”: Dave Day was a Civil War Medal of Honor winner and editor of the famous Solid Muldoon newspaper in Ouray, Colorado 1879 – 1892. He was nationally known for his outspoken attacks on mining fraud, bawdy remarks, and feuds with rival editors. “The Real Sons of Katie Elder”: The Marlow brothers’ fight against Texas vigilantes and their later lives as respected ranchers and lawmen in Colorado. “Trombones and Tumbleweeds – the Original Cow Boy Band, from Dodge City to Colorado”: Started by the owner of the Long Branch Saloon, this nationally famous brass band performed in cowboy attire from 1878 through 1929 and played for audiences ranging from local mining towns to Presidential inaugurations. “Ghost Towns of the West”: History, exploration and photography of real ghost towns, mostly in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Wyoming. “Narrow Gauge Railroads of Southern Colorado”: Various topics, including train robberies, Galloping Geese of the Rio Grande Southern, Ouray Branch of the Denver and Rio Grande, History of the RGS, D&RG, Silverton and Silverton Northern railroads, and more. FEES: Honorarium generally $200 – $500 depending on length, plus all expenses. Honorarium negotiable for nonprofit organizations.

Q

R

Reynolds, Clay CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: 972-984-1224, or write to: 625 Meadow Drive, McKinney, TX 75069BIO: Native Texan Clay Reynolds is the author of thirteen volumes, including nine works of fiction, as well as more than eight hundred other publications, ranging from short fiction to essay to critical articles. He has won numerous writing awards, particularly for his western fiction and is a National Endowment for the Arts Fellow. All of his creative work and a good deal of his nonfiction is concerned with the West. He holds a Ph.D. and is on the faculty of the University of Texas at Dallas. He frequently conducts workshops and gives lectures to both academic and community writing organizations, as well as to associations concerned with western history and fiction.SPEECH TOPICS: He has talked about the state of the western in contemporary fiction, the historical development of the American western, and the process of research and writing regarding western fiction.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Speaking fees are negotiable. Travel expenses are required.

Richards, DustyCONTACT DETAILS: PO Box 6460, Springdale, AR 72766479-751-7246 dustyrichards@cox.net BIO: Raised in Arizona moved to Arkansas in 1960 Worked in management for Tyson Food for 34 years, Radio farm director 13 years TV anchor 9 years, rodeo announcer, professional auctioneer, cattle man and novelist. I have spoken to over 60 writers conventions. References can be furnish. I talk about writing fiction regardless of your genera. Author of 85 novels 100’s of short stories and write a column for Farm and Neighbors magazine and Storyteller magazine. I have won the Cowboy Culture Award for helping others and my success in western fictionTwo Spurs one for best book of the year and one for best short story of the yearTwo of my books won book of the year from Oklahoma Writers FederationI serve in the local PRCA Rodeo board. The Local electric co-op board and the Oklahoma Electric Cooperative state wide board. I am a director of Western Writer of America President of Ozarks Creative Writer Conference, Board member of Ozark Writers League and Oklahoma Writer FederationSPEECH TOPICS
How to write fiction that sells. The story of Western Fiction and Buffalo Bill. What happened in North Arkansas from 1800-1850 Cattle trails and how they went. History of the Cowboy.At many of the places I speak I do fund raising charity auctions as well They are fun and things can be gathered by participants to bring in to sell. I also have a pa system and a projector.FEE ARRANGEMENTS
$500 a day plus but lets talk about what you can afford and how your occasion fits my schedule.

Robson, Lucia St. Clair CONTACT DETAILS: looshr@aol.comor P.O. Box 682, Arnold, MD 21012.BIO: Lucia St. Clair Robson’s first novel, Ride the Wind, appeared on the New York Times bestsellers list. The Western Writers of America awarded it the Golden Spur for the year’s Best Historical Western. Her other novels include Walk in My Soul about Sam Houston and the Cherokees, and Ghost Warrior, the story of Lozen of the Chiracahua Apaches. Kirkus Reviews wrote, “Few novelists working today have a better grasp of early American history than Robson.” Her latest book is Shadow Patriots: A Novel of the Revolution.SPEECH TOPICS: I like to call my talk “Predicting the Past.” I discuss historical research and the surprising and entertaining details it uncovers.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: $500 plus travel expenses. The fee may be waived for charitable organizations. For more information go to www.luciastclairrobson.com

Roe, JoAnnCONTACT DETAILS: Phone: (800) 295-3607; joroe@joannroe.com; 221 Jerome St. Bellingham, WA 98229BIO: I am the author of 15 books, 10 of them about Pacific NW Mountain and Marine topics–one on the The Columbia River. I write frequently for national and regional magazines including In-flights, Travel, Western, and General. A movie was made from one book aired on network TV. Awards include society of American Travel Writers, Governor’s, Pac. NW Booksellers. About 600 published articles.SPEECH TOPICS: “Frank Matsura Frontier Photographer and his Astonishing Royal roots.”Pacific NW popular history–“Whatever Happened Around Here Anyway?”,How to write and sell articles to magazines.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: $500-$1000 plus travel expenses. Possibly less for Pacific NW locations. Lunch or dinner speech as low as $100.

Rosebrook, Dr. Stuart CONTACT DETAILS: Krista Rolfzen Soukup, Literary Publicist and Agent, Blue Cottage Agency, Phone: (218)828-4717. BIO: Rosebrook, currently the senior editor at True West magazine, has nearly three decades of experience in journalism, publishing, television production, broadcast news, multi-media experience, and non-profit management. His latest book is At Work in Arizona: The First 100 Years. He earned his history degree at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C., in 1985, his master’s in Western history at Arizona State University (A.S.U.) in Tempe, Ariz., in 1994, and his Ph.D. in American Western history from A.S.U., in 1999. During graduate school he worked at Arizona Highways magazine for seven years as the research editor. He is also a contributor to numerous national publications. Rosebrook also was a special guest historian on the anniversary edition of John Wayne’s True Grit. His website is www.stuartrosebrook.com. SPEECH TOPICS: The American West: real and imagined, film, television, popular culture, literature, heritage travel, historical photography, baseball and Arizona. Also, publishing, research and writing seminars for publications and non-profits, workshops, and corporations. FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Negotiable, plus all travel expenses.

Rosenthal, Philip S. “Phil”CONTACT DETAILS: e-mail: philiprosenthal@aol.comor phone (770) 993-5734BIO: While I have written on many subjects, such as military history, alternative history, horror, worldwide travel, sports and business, the one area of expertise I continue to be approached to present on is the Siege and Battle of the Alamo. I have had two books published on the subject, as well as many articles in newspapers, magazines and websites. My concentration is not so much the battle itself, but the people who took place in the battle and what it was like to be there. Being a U.S. Army combat arms veteran of three conflicts myself, I can speak with some experience on these matters, avoiding the “rah-rah”, blindly patriotic type of approach that often accompanies such subject matter. I have spoken to schools, businesses, historical groups and military and veteran’s organizations on many subjects, including various aspects of the west, such as the Civil War, the taming of the west, etc., but the Alamo seems to be the one for which I continue to get the most requests. I currently live in the Atlanta, GA area, spend a lot of time in northern Florida, where I also have a home, and in Southern California, and over the years have spoken throughout the U.S., and in Canada, Israel, South Africa, Europe and Australia on any number of subjects. The primary focus of my current speaking engagements are the southeastern U.S., the State of California and Israel. Besides my travels, I am retired from the financial services industry and currently participate as a mentor, trainer and facilitator in the non-profit sector.SPEECH TOPICS: Siege and Battle of the Alamo, Civil War, Indian Wars, settling of California, Jewish Westerners.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: $250-500 plus all travel expenses

S

Schmid, Vernon CONTACT DETAILS: 90 Hudler Lane, North East MD 21901410-287-2794 / 443-553-5686, E-mail: vls1934@yahoo.com BIO: A prize winning poet and editor, Vernon Schmid is a member of the prestigious Western Writers of America. Author of over a dozen books of fiction, nonfiction, drama and poetry, his latest are Watie’s Wolves, More Houlihans and Horse Sense, Cherokee Myth and Legend and Otium Sanctum. In 1993, his first novel, Seven Days of the Dog, was a Heekin Group fiction finalist and his play Last Letter from Bitter was a workshop selection at the Baltimore Playwrights Competition. A 2004 nominee for Maryland Poet Laureate, over 2,000 of his articles, columns, poems and short stories have been published in the U.S., Canada and England. Recently his work has appeared in Country Magazine, Roundup Magazine, and Amazon.com/shorts. His National Foundation Quarter Horse Journal column “Horse Sense” reaches readers in all fifty states and twenty-four foreign countries. With degrees in journalism, theology, and creative writing, he has taught at Penn Valley Community College, Chesapeake College, Ft. Lewis College, and Cecil College. He has been a guest lecturer and speaker at Illinois Wesleyan University, Saint Paul School of Theology, North Central Missouri State College, University of Toledo, Allegheny College, Syracuse University, Illinois State University, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Kansas State University, Illinois South Central State University, Wesley College, Lafayette College, Dickinson College, University of Kansas, Albright College, Washington College, Parsons (KS) Junior College, University of Pittsburg, Allen County (KS) Community Junior College, Carnegie-Mellon University and numerous public venues. He lives in northeast Maryland where he and his wife, Susan, enjoy their horses, dog and two daughters, not necessarily in that order.SPEECH TOPICS: Cherokee Myth and Legend, The Civil War in Indian Territory, Cowboy Songs, Stories and Downright Lies, Horses and Horse SenseFEE ARRANGEMENTS: $200 – $500, plus travel expenses. Some exceptions for Charitable Organizations.

Schmidt, LisaCONTACT DETAILS: Lisa Schmidt,564 Graham Ranch Lane, Conrad, MT 59425. Phone 406-278-0159. Email alandofgrass@3riversdbs.net Web: http://www.a-land-of-grass-ranch.com BIO: Lisa and her husband raise natural, grass-fed beef and lamb on their historic ranch in north-central Montana. Lisa writes and speaks about ranch life today including practical range management, business, entrepreneurship, and freelance writing. She is the author of “Prairie Ponderings” a column about ranch life. Since 1998 she has been teaching workshops throughout the nation.SPEECH TOPICS: Ranch life, how to grow within a niche market, starting a business, How to write for popular newspapers and magazines.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: All travel expenses plus a negotiated honorarium.

Shuttleworth, RedCONTACT DETAILS: Red Shuttleworth, 10482 Road 16 NE, Moses Lake, WA 98837.Home Phone 509-766-9104. Office Phone 509-793-2205. Email reds@bigbend.eduBIO: Red Shuttleworth’s Western Settings received the first Spur Award for Poetry in 2001. Red has twice been honored by True West magazine for his poetry on the West. His poems appear regularly in a variety of magazines, such as Concho River Review, Flyway, Suisun Valley Review, Elysian Fields Quarterly, Rattle, and Weber: The Contemporary American West. A playwright as well as a poet, Red’s plays have been presented widely, including at The Sun Valley Festival of New Western Drama, the Tony Award-winning Utah Shakespearean Festival, The University of Nebraska at Kearney, and Sundance Playwrights Lab. He has read his poems for The Nevada Book Festival, The Clark County — Las Vegas Public Library, the Churchill Arts Council, and numerous colleges.SPEECH TOPICS: Poetry Readings.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Speaking fees range from $300 to $500, plus expenses.

Slatta, Dr. Richard W. CONTACT DETAILS:109 Maltland Dr.Cary NC 27518 phone: 919-513-2229E-mail: Rich@cowboyprof.com. Web: http://www.cowboyprof.com BIO: Slatta, “The Cowboy Professor,” was born in North Dakota and grew up in six other western states. In 1980, he earned his doctorate in history at the University of Texas, Austin. Since then he has taught history at North Carolina State University. He has researched cowboy and ranch life through North and South America and Hawaii. His books include /Cowboy: The Illustrated History /(2006), /The Mythical West/ (2001), /Comparing Cowboys and Frontiers /(1997), /The Cowboy Encyclopedia /(1994), and /Cowboys of the Americas/ (1990). He has lectured throughout the US, as well as in Canada, Austria, and Argentina.SPEECH TOPICS: [all illustrated with color slides or PowerPoint]* “The New Old West: Changing Interpretations of America’s West”* “Long Hours and Low Pay: Cowboy Life on the Northern Great Plains”* “Hispanic Roots of the American Cowboy* “A Fast Ride with Cowboys of the Americas”* “Social History in the Saddle: Problems in Frontier Research”* “The Gaucho: Argentina’s Cowboy”* “South Meets West: Origins of the Quarter Horse”* “The Cowboy’s Ride from History to Myth”* “Popular and Political Images of Cowboys of the Americas”FEE ARRANGEMENTS: Compensation is flexible, ranging from $500 to $1500 plus expenses, for one to three lectures over a two-day period. Accommodations possible for non-profit organizations.

Smith, CottonCONTACT DETAILS: Call 913-432-5923 or email spiritfire@kc.rr.com BIO: Cotton Smith is the respected author of twelve western novels, Spur Award finalist and past President of the Western Writers of America. A well-known marketing executive, his advertising agency produced over a hundred honors for creative excellence. He is the creator of a number of marketing planning aids, including the Positioning Map and a manual on marketing strategy, MarketNavigation: Set Sail With the Wind.A horseman, western historian, artist and a gifted speaker, he is also the author of Trail to Eagle, a history of Boy Scouting in Kansas City and Tribesmen Arise!, the history of the Tribe of Mic-O-Say, a unique camp honor society. A recipient of the Silver Beaver Award, he has been active in Scouting all his life. He was also co-creator of an original musical, First Light, written and produced for the first televising of the world-famous Country Club Plaza Christmas Lighting Ceremony.SPEECH TOPICS: Superstitions and why they mean to us (The Thirteenth Bullet) . . . Being successful (Saddle Up and Ride) . . . Marketing strategy (The Lone Ranger System) . . . The human spirit overcoming trials (The Great Spirit) . . . Seven steps to developing memorable characters (Sons of Thunder) . . . Frontier ways (Behold a Red Horse). . . A special talk for Scouting events (The Knighthood). All talks are tailored to the audience.FEE ARRANGEMENTS:
$1,000 plus travel expenses. Exceptions made for Boy Scouts of America and military.

Stearns, Rhonda SedgwickCONTACT DETAILS: (307) 746-2030; cow_grl63@hotmail.com; 1159 State Highway 450, Newcastle, WY 82701BIO – Rhonda Sedgwick Stearns is a ranch-reared Wyoming author, columnist and rodeo historian with thousands of published articles and four books to her credit. She received the Will Rogers Award as Top Cowgirl Poet of 2002 from the Academy of Western Artists and the 2000 All Around Cowboy Culture award from the National Cowboy Symposium; and is a 1977 Honoree to the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. The successful rodeo cowgirl is a Gold Card Member of the PRCA and provided organ music for top prorodeos in 13 states from coast to coast for two decades.SPEECH TOPICS – Cowboy poetry; The Cowboy Code; Rodeo History; Cowboy Ways; Ranch Life; Women in Rodeo; related topics. As his biographer, I can also speak on the late acclaimed Western artist Keith W. Avery.FEE ARRANGEMENTS – $500 – $800, plus travel expenses. Negotiable; willing to donate some portions of compensation for benefit or charity events.

Swarthout, Miles CONTACT DETAILS: miles.swarthout@verizon.net Literary website – www.milesswarthout.com 8180 Manitoba Street, Pacific Club #354, Playa del Rey, California 90293Office/fax 310-578-5404BIO: Miles is the only son of Western Writers’ Hall of Fame novelist, Glendon Swarthout, and has adapted many of his late father’s novels into screenplays. Among them are The Shootist, one of John Wayne’s best Westerns and the Duke’s final film in 1976, for which Miles received a Writer’s Guild nomination for Best Adaptation. Glendon’s The Shootist also won the Spur Award as the Best Western Novel of 1975. Miles also wrote the teleplay for the 1978 CBS TV-Movie, A Christmas To Remember, based upon his dad’s novella, A Christmas Gift, which starred Joanne Woodward, Eva Marie Saint, and Jason Robards. Miles has also written adaptations for the late Paul Newman and optioned a number of scripts for Hollywood producers which have yet to be made.Miles’ Western novel, The Sergeant’s Lady, won the WWA’s Spur Award as the Best First Novel of 2004. A sequel novel to his father’s classic Shootist is waiting to be published. Miles freelances articles about the West and films for publications like True West, Persimmon Hill, Roundup magazine, the Arizona Republic and the Los Angeles Times.SPEECH TOPICS: “The Shootist Show” — a lecture on the writing and making of that famous Western utilizing film clips from the DVD of John Wayne’s last Western to illustrate filmmaking techniques, with a q & a following. Requiresa big screen TV and DVD hookup.”Mirrors On the Mountains” – a powerpoint talk about General Nelson Miles’ heliograph Morse code network across the southwest to capture Geronimo and his renegades in the final Apache campaign of 1886. These sun-flashing communications outposts and the U.S. Army soldiers manning them are the backdrop of Miles’ Spur-winning, frontier love story. The Sergeant’s Lady.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: $500-$1500 depending upon travel time, plus expenses.

Sweazy, Larry D. CONTACT DETAILS: larrysweazy@prodigy.net www.larrydsweazy.comBusiness Phone: 317-773-9809Mailing Address: 18078 Benton Oak Dr., Noblesville, IN 46062BIO: Larry D. Sweazy is available for book signings, in-store events, library presentations, and programs for middle-grade and high schools.BIO: Larry D. Sweazy’s short story, “The Promotion”, has been honored both by the western genre and mystery genre. He won the WWA 2005 Spur award for best short fiction, and “The Promotion” also appeared in The Adventure of the Missing Detective: And 25 of the Year’s Finest Crime and Mystery Stories! His short story, “See Also Murder” was nominated for a Derringer Award in 2007.Larry’s first novel, The Rattlesnake Season, a Josiah Wolfe, Texas Ranger, novel is scheduled for release by Berkley Books in October, 2009, followed up by The Scorpion Trailin April, 2010.His other short stories have appeared in, or will appear in, Boy’s Life, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Amazon Shorts, Hardboiled, Terminal Fright, and other anthologies and magazines.Larry’s non-fiction articles have appeared in The Drood Review, Mystery Muses, Roundup magazine, and in the upcoming release from M.E. Sharpe, The Encyclopedia of the Western Expansion.Larry is also the owner of WordWise Publishing Services, LLC, and as a freelance indexer, he has written over 600 back-of-the-book indexes for publishers such as Cisco Press, Addison-Wesley, O’Reilly, and Thomson-Gale. He has been a successful freelancer for the past 12 years.Larry lives in Noblesville, Indiana with his wife, Rose, and two dogs, Rhodesian ridgebacks, and a catSPEECH TOPICS:* Creative Writing: All about writing short stories and novels. Where ideas come from, deciding on what form, and all aspects of being a professional writer.* Research: Techniques used for writing fiction and non-fiction articles, specializing on works featuring the West, and historical topics.* Freelance: Techniques for successful practices as a freelancer. Writing, editing, and publishing production positions are the focus. Marketing, project management, and financial planning are included.* Writing for Middle-Grade and Young Adult (YA) readers: Techniques for writing for children and teens.* Texas Rangers: Larry has done extensive research on the Texas Rangers (most specifically, the Frontier Battalion years).FEE ARRANGEMENTS:Negotiable. Discounts and/or pro bono rates are available for veterans groups.

T

U

V

W

Wyman, WillardCONTACT DETAILS: Star Route 2, Box 438, La Honda, CA 94020, Phone: (650) 851-9464, E-mail: wypacmules@aol.com BIO: Wyman won two Western Writers of America “Spur” Awards for his novel, High Country, which was named Best First Novel as well as The Best Novel of the West for 2006.He has been a wrangler, guide, and packer in Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness and the Sierra Nevada High Country for over forty years, living out experiences portrayed vividly in his story of the last days of the packing profession. He taught literature and was a dean of students at both Stanford University (where he went on to become Special Assistant to the President during the years of student activism) and Colby College before becoming headmaster of The Thacher School. He is now Headmaster Emeritus and lives and writes in the coastal mountains of California.SPEECH TOPICS: “Packing”: The Earliest Western Craft: The Writer’s Voice: Memoir vs. Fiction: How an Award Winning Novel Emerged from a Failed Memoir.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: To Be Arranged

X Y Z

Yoho, R.G.

CONTACT DETAILS: Phone: (740) 516-3373, Email: YohoPublications@gmail.com
BIO: Yoho has published five Western novels, Long Ride to Yesterday, Death Comes to Redhawk, Death Rides the Rail, Nightfall Over Nicodemus, and The Evil Day. He has also penned three works of non-fiction, including America’s History is His Story. Yoho has been a radio talk show host, newspaper columnist, sportswriter, and is a regular columnist at Clash Daily. His website is www.RGYoho.com.SPEECH TOPICS: Western Writing, What Not To Do As A Writer, God and Country, writing and research instructions, seminars, workshops and motivational presentations.FEE ARRANGEMENTS: $250 plus all travel expenses, negotiable for worthy causes.